


Another Day in the Corps

by Merfilly



Category: Aliens (1986)
Genre: Character of Color, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-25
Updated: 2010-04-25
Packaged: 2017-10-09 03:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at that last mission through Apone's eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Day in the Corps

**Author's Note:**

> First name of character is actor's, as was done for many of the Marines, since they had not been given first names in the script. Rank determined by insignia, which was US Army style E-7, not Marine.

Sergeant First Class Al Apone had come into the Corps with one idea in mind; he was going to stay in until he died. The Corps was the life he wanted, with its structure, the hard work, and the ability to shine. Back at home, he had cousins and siblings that were content to be mindless wage slaves, doped-out junkies, or con artists making a buck any way they could, but Apone was a serious man with a serious need to be the best.

The Colonial Marines gave that chance to him, along with two uniforms, a buzz cut, and a drill instructor with a serious attitude. Now, years later, getting a little grizzled around the temples and still loving the Corps, he felt like he had left planetary life behind with no regrets.

He was smiling, though, because of a communique from his aging mother, telling him that his youngest brother's daughter had chosen a life in the Corps, just like her famous uncle. While he wasn't so certain about the 'famous' part, it pleased him to know he had inspired someone in the next generation to follow in his footsteps.

"Sergeant Apone? You've got an Ell Tee here with a mission brief," one of the local privates called into his little-used office.

"Start recall on my team then, Private!" Apone put the communique and picture it had enclosed away, as well as thoughts of the family back on Earth. Right now, his life was calling him.

`~`~`~`~`

Hudson acting the fool was nothing new. Apone didn't think this Ell Tee was going to hack it long, though, if he didn't get used to shit like that from short-timers. Hudson had punched his ticket and was raring to be out of uniform, as alien a concept as that was for Apone to grasp. He'd seen it, though, often enough in his career.

It had taken a brief word, out of earshot of both the Corporate Man and the team, to make Gorman relax his sphincter over the fact his team did not run in standard uniform. Apone really, really hated breaking baby face Ell Tees to the idea that space and combat did not work like garrison duty. If he heard 'by the book' one more time, Apone was thinking about turning a blind eye when the team found a book and introduced it to Gorman painfully.

Still, the briefing had gone as well as could be expected, with a wet Ell Tee, a corporate presence, and a so-called civilian expert who couldn't even keep her panties out of a twist enough to deliver the briefing properly. He just grabbed the disks instead, made sure Hicks was with him, and settled in to find out what he could about their bogeys for this milk run. Sometimes the milk was sour enough to really need their presence after all.

`~`~`~`~`

The gut feeling in his bones was to march right back to the APC when the order came to pick up the magazines. Apone was veteran enough to know better than to ignore the feeling, and yet, he had a full assault team with flame throwers, and Hicks probably had his relic of a shotgun. They hadn't seen a single bogey yet.

They were Marines, baddest of the badasses. They could finish the milk run with the throwers, get the damned stupid colonists out of hot water, and then exterminate Ripley's nightmares after.

`~`~`~`~`

He should have listened to his gut feeling. It was the first thought he had, feeling the pain of his broken bottom, the congestion in his chest, and the claustrophobic cocoon around him.

He hoped his niece had a longer run. He hoped the team... the ones not trapped with him... finished the job.

They were Marines. That's just what they did. He'd always known he'd be one until he died.


End file.
